Review: ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favour’

Every good play deserv– sorry, couldn't resist. Stoppard and Previn's fascinating one act piece contains an infectious playfulness within its grim setting, deftly conveyed by director Beatrix Swanson Scott's proficient cast and musical director & composer Morgan Edward Overton's charismatic orchestra.

Despite its slim run time (roughly an hour), 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' is an ambitious piece to take on, requiring the stitching of 20 plus musicians into the unstable reality of two 'patients' incarcerated in a Soviet mental hospital. Thankfully, Overton's conductor persona performed this beautifully from the outset, interacting with characters through zany mime and reacting to late audience members with a cartoonish pomposity. Additionally, the musicians of the orchestra (who are, as of writing this, upsettingly absent from the play's CamDram credits) excelled at moments of musical comedy while delivering a high standard of musicianship and a cohesive interplay with the play's action.

Photo: Anna Gawedzka

This action revolves around Alexander (Dominic Carrington) and Ivanov (Lara Cosmetatos); the former a political prisoner deemed insane for his dissent, the latter, having delusions of conducting an imaginary orchestra, really is insane… or are they? A dynamic of bemusement, frenzy and miscommunication is skilfully conveyed by Carrington and Cosmetatos, the one nailing Alexander's principled earnestness and the other offering a deeply enthralling (and comedic) performance of Ivanov's punning intensity. Bathsheba Lockwood Brook also gave a stand out performance as Sacha, Alexander's young son, in that she achieves an entirely convincing depiction of a child, conveyed through a subtlety so often shunned when attempting to play children. From both Brook and Carrington's polished work emerged a touching and believable father-son bond, a love and a yearning across the gulf of their separation for the majority of the play.

Carrington also impresses with well navigated monologues, but I felt both of his stand out moments slightly undermined by either the noise of the orchestra (making him difficult to hear) or awkward staging. The majority of the cast remained onstage at all times, making lights and clear delineation of space and location crucial for following the narrative. Scott used this well, allowing characters and props to move between spaces fluently, and the plot to maintain momentum across separate, concurrent scenes. Sadly, some moments (including a particularly significant monologue) in this regard felt incoherent, and lights occasionally failed to illuminate or communicate. In other ways, lights and set worked fabulously (the work of Lara Mandell and Scott, respectively), with a step ladder and spotlight used to surprisingly impressive effect.

Photo: Anna Gawedzka

'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' is a play of ideas, with the inner depths of characters a secondary priority. I found the playfully cerebral nature of the plot and many of the conversations well delivered with knowing panache, Scott and her actors intelligently finding moments of both humour and pathos. At the same time, the orchestra and cast displayed a carefully practised cohesion, making up for the minor awkwardness of the space and conquering the fundamental difficulty of staging this 'rarely performed' piece: the integration of the orchestra as complementary medium. One of the play's most intriguing ideas involves the musical quality of language (Alexander writing rhyming poems for Sacha), and, in addition to wider concerns of semantics, madness and totalitarianism, this was communicated beautifully without labouring the point.

Clever, charming and impressive, the orchestra, cast and crew of 'Every Good Boy' deserve attention for their entertaining rendition of a tricky bit of writing. While certain failings undermined what could have been a smoother staging, I would encourage anyone looking for something a bit different to give this show a try.

4.5 Stars

Cover: Anna Gawedzka